Chocolate Chiffon Pie

This recipe is another one of my semi-spectacular failures. It wasn't an exact failure, but, like the caramel chocolate shortbread, it wasn't exactly a success either.

I ended up burning my crust a bit and screwing up the filling and had to make it a second time. Lesson learned. My chocolate chiffon pie came out okay, but I don't know if I'll make it again. It's kind of a pain in the butt to make but who knows. Maybe the second time is a charm?

Chocolate Chiffon Pie

Ingredients:

[nut base]

2 cups shelled Brazil nuts

4 tablespoons granulated sugar

4 teaspoons melted butter

[filling]

1 cup milk

2 teaspoons powdered gelatin

1/2 generous cup superfine sugar [regular sugar is fine]

2 eggs, separated

8 oz semi-sweet chocolate, roughly chopped

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2/3 cup heavy cream

 

Instructions:

To make the base, process the whole Brazil nuts in a food processor until finely ground. [You'll really want a food processor for this. At the time, I didn't have one and had to use the blender. It was a pain in the butt.] Add the sugar and melted butter and process briefly to coming. Tip the mixture into a 9 inch round tart pan and press it onto the base and side with a spoon. [You're going to want to get a loose-bottomed tart pan for this and any other tart/pie you make. Trust me, you'll thank me later when your tart/pie doesn't fall apart when you cut it or try to take it out of the pan.] Bake in a pre-heated oven, 400 degrees F, for eight to 10 minutes, or until light golden brown. Let cool. [Mine was more of a dark brown. Don't let that happen.]

 

Pour the milk into a bowl and sprinkle over the gelatin. Let it soften for two minutes, then set over a pan of gently simmering water. Stir in half of the superfine sugar, both egg yolks, and all of the chocolate. Stir constantly over low heat for four to five minutes until the gelatin has dissolved and the chocolate has melted. Remove from the heat and beat until the mixture is smooth. Stir in the vanilla extract, wrap, and let chill in the refrigerator for 45 to 60 minutes until starting to set.

 

Whip the cream until it is stiff, then fold all but three table spoons into the chocolate mixture [to decorate]. Whisk the egg whites in a separate, clean, grease-free bowl until soft peaks form. Add two teaspoons of the remaining sugar and whisk until stiff peaks form. Fold in the remaining sugar, the fold the egg whites into the chocolate mixture. Pour the filling into the pastry shell and let chill in the refrigerator for three hours.

 

 

Not awful, but maybe next time I'll have better luck.